Saturday, December 31, 2016

рдорд╣ाрднाрд░рдд рдХрдеा - рдмрд▓ рдпा рдк्рд░рдЬ्рдЮा

рдорд╣ाрднाрд░рдд рдХी рдЗрд╕ рдХрдеा рдХा рд╕ूрдд्рд░ рд╣рд░िрд╡ंрд╢ рдоें рдкाрдпा рдЬाрддा рд╣ै । рдЗрд╕ рд▓ेрдЦ рдоें рддीрди рдкाрдд्рд░ рд╣ैं, рд╣ाрд▓ांрдХि рдЙрди рддीрди рдкाрдд्рд░ों рдоें рд╕े рджो рд╡्рдпрдХ्рддि рд╣ैं рдФрд░ рдПрдХ рд╢рд╣рд░ рд╣ै ।

рдоुрдЪрдХुрди्рдж рдХी рдЖँрдЦों рдХी рдЬ्рд╡ाрд▓ा рд╕े рдХाрд▓рдпрд╡рди рдХा рдЬрд▓рдиा
[рд╢्рд░ेрдп: http://bhaktiart.net/]
рдпрд╣ рддो рд╕рдм рднрд▓ी рднांрддि рдЬाрдирддे рд╣ैं рдХि рд╢्рд░ी рдХृрд╖्рдг рдХी рд╣ी рд░ाрдп рдкрд░ рдордеुрд░ा рдХो рдЫोреЬрдиे рдХा рдиिрд░्рдгрдп рд▓िрдпा рдЧрдпा рдеा। рдордеुрд░ा рд╕े рджूрд░, рд╕рдоुрдж्рд░ рддрдЯ рдкрд░ рдж्рд╡ाрд░рд╡рддी рдиाрдордХ рд╕्рдеाрди рдкрд░ рдПрдХ рдирдП рд╢рд╣рд░ рдХा рдиिрд░्рдоाрдг рдХिрдпा рдЧрдпा । рдордеुрд░ा рдЫोреЬрдиे рдХा рдХाрд░рдг рдеा рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рдХे рдЙрд╕ рд╢рд╣рд░ рдкрд░ рдиिрд░ंрддрд░ рдЖрдХ्рд░рдордг । рд╡ृрд╖्рдгिрдпों рдиे рдпрд╣ рднी рд╕्рд╡ीрдХाрд░ा рдХी рд╡ो рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рдХो рд╕ौ рд╕ाрд▓ рдоें рднी рдкрд░ाрдЬिрдд рдирд╣ीं рдХрд░ рд╕рдХрддे рдеे । рдРрд╕ी рд╕्рддिрдеि рдоें рдордеुрд░ा рдирдЧрд░ी рдЫोреЬрдиे рдХे рдЕрддिрд░िрдХ्рдд рдХोрдИ рдФрд░ рд╡िрдХрд▓्рдк рдеा рд╣ी рдирд╣ीं।

рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рдХा рдЕंрдд рд╣ुрдЖ, рдФрд░ рд╢्рд░ी рдХृрд╖्рдг рдХी рдЙрд╕рдоे рдЕрд╣рдо् рднूрдоिрдХा рдеी, рд╣ाрд▓ांрдХि рд╡рдз рднीрдорд╕ेрди рдХे рд╣ाрдеों рд╣ुрдЖ рдеा। рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рд╡рдз рдХी рдХрдеा рдорд╣ाрднाрд░рдд рдоें  рд╕рднा рдкрд░्рд╡ рдХे рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рд╡рдз рдЙрдк-рдкрд░्рд╡ рдоें рдкाрдпी рдЬाрддी рд╣ै । рдЗрд╕ рд▓ेрдЦ рдоें рдоै рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рд╕े рдЕрдзिрдХ рдХाрд▓рдпрд╡рди рдкрд░ рдз्рдпाрди рджेрдиा рдЪाрд╣рддा рд╣ूँ । рдЬрд░ाрд╕ंрдз рдХी рднांрддि рдХाрд▓рдпрд╡рди рднी рдРрд╕ा рд╡्рдпрдХ्рддि рдеा рдЬिрд╕े рд╡ृрд╖्рдгि рдФрд░ рдЕंрдзрдХ рдкрд░ाрдЬिрдд рдирд╣ीं рдХрд░ рд╕рдХрддे рдеे । рдХ्рдпों? рдХाрд▓рдпрд╡рди рдХी рдХ्рдпा рдХрд╣ाрдиी рдеी?

рдХाрд▓рдпрд╡рди рдХी рдХрдеा рднी рдПрдХ рдРрд╕ी рдХрдеा рд╣ै рдЬिрд╕рдоें рд╕ाрд░े рдоाрдирд╡ рднाрд╡ рдкाрдП рдЬाрддे рд╣ैं । рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдПрдХ рдЛрд╖ि рдеे рдЬो рд╡ृрд╖्рдгि рдФрд░ рдЕंрдзрдХों рджोрдиों рдХे рдЧुрд░ु рдеे । рдкрд░ рдордеुрд░ा рдоें рдЙрди्рд╣ीं рдХे рдмрд╣рдиोрдИ рдиे рдЙрдирдХा рддिрд░рд╕्рдХाрд░ рдХिрдпा, рдпрд╣ рдХрд╣рдХрд░ рдХी рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдорд░्рдж рд╣ी рдирд╣ीं рдеे। рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдЕрдкрдоाрди рдирд╣ीं рд╕рд╣ рд╕рдХे рдФрд░ рдЙрди्рд╣ोंрдиे рдордеुрд░ा рдирдЧрд░ी рдд्рдпाрдЧ рджी । рдкрд░ рдЕрдм рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп, рдЬिрди्рд╣ोंрдиे рди рд╡िрд╡ाрд╣ рдХिрдпा рдеा, рдЬिрди्рд╣ोंрдиे рди рд╕ंрддाрди рдЬрди्рдоी рдеी, рдЙрд╕ी рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдоुрдиिрд╡рд░ рдХो рдЕрдм рд╕ंрддाрди рдЪाрд╣िрдП рдеी । рдпрд╣ рдеा рдЕрдкрдоाрди рдХा рдкрд░िрдгाрдо! рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдиे рд╢िрд╡ рдХी рдЖрд░ाрдзрдиा рдХी, рдФрд░ рд░ूрдж्рд░ рд╕े рд╡рд░рджाрди рдк्рд░ाрдк्рдд рдХिрдпा рдХी рдЙрди्рд╣ें рди рд╕िрд░्реЮ рдПрдХ рдкुрдд्рд░ рдХी рдк्рд░ाрдк्рддि рд╣ोрдЧी рдкрд░ рдПрдХ рдРрд╕ा рдкुрдд्рд░ рдЬो рд╡ृрд╖्рдгि рдФрд░ рдЕंрдзрдХों рдХो рдкрд░ाрдЬिрдд рдХрд░рдиे рдоें рд╕рдорд╕्рдд рд╣ोрдЧा । рдЕрдм рдпрд╣ рдПрдХ рдкрд╣ेрд▓ी рд╣ी рд╣ै рдХि рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдиे рд╕ंрддाрди рдХे рд╕ाрде рдХ्рдпा рд╡ृрд╖्рдгि рдФрд░ рдЕंрдзрдХों рдХो рдкрд░ाрдЬिрдд рдХрд░рдиे рд╡ाрд▓ी рд╕ंрддाрди рдХा рднी рд╡рд░рджाрди рдоाँрдЧा рдеा, рдХ्рдпोंрдХि рд╣рд░िрд╡ंрд╢ рдкुрд░ाрдг рдиे рдЗрд╕ рд╡िрд╖рдп рдкрд░ рд░ौрд╢рдиी рдирд╣ीं рдбाрд▓ी рд╣ै । рдкрд░ рдЬो рднी рд╣ो, рд╢िрд╡ рд╕े рдпрд╣ рд╡рд░рджाрди рддो рдоिрд▓ рдЧрдпा рдеा рдЧाрд░्рдЧ्рдп рдХो ।

Friday, December 30, 2016

The ‘Intolerance’ of the Book That Wouldn’t Sell

W
hat makes a book? What makes an author? And, what makes a bestseller? The obvious answer, if one is a journalist in India, would be - the ability to use one’s influence and connections to get a publisher to publish it. Getting a book published is for such people the easy part. The content few care about, since the purpose of such books is neither to inform nor entertain - it's mostly the fulfillment of an unsatiated ego, and many a times an unstated agenda.
    
Books written by controversial journalists in recent times

One such book is "2014 - The Election That Changed India", written by controversial journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. Why "controversial"? Several reasons spring to mind.

Friday, December 23, 2016

Tales from the Mahabharata - Is Might Right

T
his one comes from the Harivamsha. There are three mini-tales here. Two of them have to do with people, while the third has to do with a city. That the Harivamsha has less to do with Hari may also come as a surprise, but that is a tale for another time. For this one, let's take a look at the the mini-tales.

Mucukunda Burning Kalayavana
[credit: http://bhaktiart.net/]
It is well-known that Krishna advocated the abandoning of Mathura and relocating the populace to the western shores, to a place called Dvaravati. He did this because of the repeated attacks on Mathura by Jarasandha - that much is also well-known. The Vrishnis agreed with Krishna and told him that Jarasandha could not be killed by them even in a hundred years. Thus they left Mathura, and made Dvaravati their new home.  Krishna did eventually get Jarasandha killed, but through the hands of Bhimasena (this story is recounted in the Jarasandha-vadha Parva of Sabha Parva).

Before I come to the interesting bit in this context about Jarasandha, let us look at the second person. He is Kalayavana, who also could not be defeated by the Yadavas. Why couldn't he be defeated by the Vrishnis, the Andhakas? What was his story?

Friday, December 9, 2016

Harivamsha, by Bibek Debroy - Review

T
he Harivamsha is the final, final part of the Mahabharata. Not quite a part of itihaasa - which the Mahabharata and Ramayana are - nor quite a Purana, the Harivamsha nonetheless gets by by being called a "kheel" (appendix) to the Mahabharata. The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, over several decades, compiled a Critical Edition of the Mahabharata. The Harivamsha also forms part of this Critical Edition. The critical edition of the Harivamsha contains a shade less than 6000 shlokas - thus bringing the total length of the Critical Edition of the epic to just under 79,000 shlokas. An English translation of this version is what Dr. Bibek Debroy has come out with (he came out with translations of the Critical Edition between 2010 and 2015). He informs us that "Non-Critical versions will often have double this number, reflective of the slashing."